The rocky road towards palm oil sustainability

20 Dec 2011

Simon Evans travels to Malaysia to see how parts of the palm oil industry are clearing up their act

Seen from the air, Sandakan on the north-east coast of Malaysian Borneo is surrounded by oil palms in a regular geometric pattern. Apart from the signs of fresh forest clearance at its fringes, the view is reminiscent of southern England’s patchwork of farmland.